Poison Prevention Awareness

This week we observe the National Poison Prevention Week, household poisons have been a part of our lives for a long time, they are mostly present in cleaning solutions, insecticides, weed killers and carbon monoxide, but, did you know that medications can also poison you?

Poison Control Centers get 1 Call Every 12 Seconds.

This week Altus ER would shine some light on this very real threat to our communities, according to the American Association of Poison Control Centers (AAPCC), poison is the leading cause of injury death in the United States, and in their latest report published in November of last year, it was revealed that someone calls in to one of their 55 poison control centers every 12 seconds.

Life-Saving Poison Prevention Tips

Preventing poison-related injuries is the most important thing you can do to help keep your family, friends, and coworkers safe. Because there are many substances that could potentially be poisonous, we will divide these into the most common ones and offer you helpful tips.

Drugs and Medications

– Don’t self-medicate, you should only take prescription medications that have been prescribed by a healthcare professional.

– Only take the recommended dose, increasing the amount or frequency with which you take your medication can lead to serious health problems and even death.

– Never share your prescription medication, make sure to keep all your prescription and over the counter medications, vitamins, and herbal supplements in a safe place where only you or the persons taking them can access them.

– Don’t mix your medication with alcohol as this could have long-term negative side effects.

– Don’t take medications that are expired as these could have turned toxic.

Household Chemicals and Carbon Monoxide

– Always read the labels before using a product that could be poisonous such as insecticides, cleaners, and detergents.

– Keep all chemical products in their original containers, don’t use any type of food containers such as bottles, jars, or cups to store chemicals, cleaners, or beauty products as children and elderly people could mistakenly come into contact with them.

– Never mix household cleaning products together, as an example mixing products containing bleach with those containing ammonia could result in toxic fumes.

– Wear protective gear such as gloves, and masks when spraying pesticides or other chemicals.

– Make sure the rooms are well ventilated when using household cleaners or chemicals.

– Install safety locks on cabinets where you store household cleaners, detergents, or pesticides and other chemicals.

– Never leave poisonous products unattended while in use.

– Have your heating system, water heater, and any gas, oil, or coal burning appliances serviced by a certified technician at least once a year.

– Install battery-operated CO detectors in your home, and make sure to replace the batteries periodically.

When to Go to the Emergency Room

If you suspect you or a loved one has come in contact with a poisonous substance, but they are stable, the first thing you should do is call the National Too-Free Poison Help Hotline 1-800-222-1222, this is a nationwide 24/7 service.

All our centers are equipped to handle emergency poison situations, therefore if the any of the above symptoms begin to manifest do not delay, rush to the nearest Altus ER center for immediate medical attention. This could save a life and possibly prevent any life-long side effects. Help us spread this poison prevention information! Together, we can help save lives.

Altus Emergency Centers Texas is Here for You 24/7

Altus Emergency Centers are all open 24/7/365, with no lines. Our facilities are well-equipped to diagnose and treat everything from major to minor adult and pediatric emergencies. We are honored to be a part of our beautiful Texas communities and work hard each day to help see them grow and prosper!

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We offer the best freestanding 24 hour ER services in Texas. We have top of the line medical technology and highly experienced ER healthcare experts prepped and ready to come to your aid in Baytown, Lake Jackson, Lufkin, Lumberton, and Waxahachie.

Each ER team is highly efficient in treating chest and abdominal pains, pediatric emergencies, flu symptoms, sports injuries, bone breaks, as well as all other major and minor injuries. All services are available 24/7, including weekends and holidays with little to no wait times.

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